Lead

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Lead

Post by Noisydad » 15 Oct 2014, 9:10 am

Was lucky enough score 4 ten litre buckets of wheel weights to melt down and cast bullets from. The hard part is sorting all the Al, Zn and Fe weights (as well as sorting the stick ons from the clip ons) as digging it out of the buckets is REAL hard on fingers. Discovered that a welders magnet is the go. It's much easier to pull the steel off the magnet and sort in smaller amounts. Stick on weights are left behind and kind of sort themselves. Lots of smaller clip on lead weights will stick to the magnet too but it's easier to sort that way. Still takes about 45 minutes per bucket though.
There's still a few of Wile. E Coyote's ideas that I haven't tried yet.
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Re: Lead

Post by Chronos » 15 Oct 2014, 10:04 am

Don't forget to wear the appropriate PPE when handling and smelting the lead mate :)

That's a fair bit of lead to work through the ingot stage. Do you hardness test them prior to casting or doesn't it matter that much at the velocities you're running them at?

I'll probably give casting a crack next year as I've bought a .44mag lever and a cast 220 will make cheap plinking pills.

My old man used to make hundreds of snapper sinkers back in the day.

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Re: Lead

Post by Warrigul » 15 Oct 2014, 10:24 am

Noisydad wrote:Was lucky enough score 4 ten litre buckets of wheel weights to melt down and cast bullets from. The hard part is sorting all the Al, Zn and Fe weights (as well as sorting the stick ons from the clip ons) as digging it out of the buckets is REAL hard on fingers. Discovered that a welders magnet is the go. It's much easier to pull the steel off the magnet and sort in smaller amounts. Stick on weights are left behind and kind of sort themselves. Lots of smaller clip on lead weights will stick to the magnet too but it's easier to sort that way. Still takes about 45 minutes per bucket though.


I've got a big steel welding bench, I used to empty the bucket on that and go from there, but just lately after a two hour session at the pistol club raking the backstops I have been using that instead.

I have been getting far more consistant results than I did with wheel weights with a lot less work.I reverted to buy cast bullets but have gone back to casting for the .310 and .45LC and after being given a ute load of flashing from an old asbestos roof will cast minies and balls again.

Too bloody addictive.
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Re: Lead

Post by Noisydad » 15 Oct 2014, 10:29 am

A club member has a lead hardness tester and I gave him a couple of samples to look at for me. He found that stick on weights are right hardness (5 Brinell) for .45 and .54 cal round ball and the clip on ones are around 12 Brinell and right for my 415gn .40 cal bullets used in the Sharps. Not suffering any leading problems in the Sharps even with 15 shot strings. Think I got lucky with the right lube recipe for this bullet /barrel combo which helps a lot. Think I'll get my own hardness tester before chrissy and put it under my Christmas tree. Think one of these will be handy as I'm casting bullets for a .32-20, 2 x .45 cal, .54, and .40-65 and Son of Lady Noisy will very soon need his own muzzle loader too so that'll make 6 rifles to feed and I can tell you it's like trying to keep up food to house full of teenagers!
There's still a few of Wile. E Coyote's ideas that I haven't tried yet.
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Re: Lead

Post by jackles » 16 Oct 2014, 2:15 pm

Where exactly do you come across 40 litres of wheel weights :lol:
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Re: Lead

Post by Atter » 16 Oct 2014, 2:16 pm

From the old abandoned wheel weight factory of course.

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Re: Lead

Post by wayward » 16 Oct 2014, 2:17 pm

Noisydad wrote:The hard part is sorting all the Al, Zn and Fe weights


With the different metals and different properties... Lead melts first right?

Is there some possibility of just furnacing the lot and pouring the lead out as it melts first, before the rest goes?
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Re: Lead

Post by Noisydad » 16 Oct 2014, 4:20 pm

Nope, you've gotta hand sort it. You don't want to run the risk of melting any Al or Zn into your lead or it'll be so hard it wont conform to the rifling in the barrel. You get wheel weights from tyre shops - ask and ye shall receive...sometimes.
There's still a few of Wile. E Coyote's ideas that I haven't tried yet.
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Re: Lead

Post by MeccaOz » 16 Oct 2014, 5:13 pm

jackles wrote:Where exactly do you come across 40 litres of wheel weights :lol:



There are just alot of wobbly cars around his area now :lol:
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Re: Lead

Post by Antie » 16 Oct 2014, 8:29 pm

In a spate of bizarre thefts, cars all over Victoria have had their wheel weights stolen...
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Re: Lead

Post by Oldbloke » 16 Oct 2014, 8:32 pm

Antie wrote:In a spate of bizarre thefts, cars all over Victoria have had their wheel weights stolen...

Blame the fisherman. :lol:
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Re: Lead

Post by Noisydad » 17 Oct 2014, 5:41 am

Truck wheels yield heavier weights! :-)
There's still a few of Wile. E Coyote's ideas that I haven't tried yet.
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Re: Lead

Post by veep » 17 Oct 2014, 2:15 pm

Can you just buy lead wholesale?

Not cheap enough?

It's not controlled or something ridiculous because it's toxic is it :roll:
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Re: Lead

Post by Noisydad » 17 Oct 2014, 9:55 pm

You can and in what ever alloy you need. However, seeing as I'm a habitual scrounger and DIYer I like to do it on the cheap. I guess It's the whole scrounging thing is little more traditional too.
There's still a few of Wile. E Coyote's ideas that I haven't tried yet.
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Re: Lead

Post by mausermate » 17 Oct 2014, 9:58 pm

old batteries?
Now that's been said, who's coming for a shot?
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Re: Lead

Post by newsteadvic » 18 Oct 2014, 6:26 am

mausermate wrote:old batteries?

No! Highly toxic and dangerous to melt down due to lead sulphates and the calcium salts.
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Re: Lead

Post by Ladynoisy » 18 Oct 2014, 9:29 pm

Lucky we got a flat tyre in Ladynoisy's car on the way to the range!

I've tried procuring lead from a tyre shop before and they would only give me a jam tin full.

Apparently most of them have contractors that pick up the lead.

We've hit the lead jackpot!!!
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Re: Lead

Post by Grated » 19 Oct 2014, 6:22 pm

Time to start a lead collection business then :D
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